Meet the Blue Ridge FellowsClass of 2017-2018:

Tony Anzivino, Derry, NH

Dartmouth College: Psychology

Employer: Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital: Medical Scribe

Host: Luke and Rachel Higginbotham

Mentor: Bret Jones

As a passionate scientist with a service focus, Tony hopes to pursue a career as a primary care physician. As an undergraduate, he was a three-season distance runner for Dartmouth’s nationally ranked cross country team. His leadership abilities led to several notable awards and saw him named captain of both the indoor and outdoor track & field teams by his junior year. Majoring in Psychology, he conducted research in an fMRI brain imaging lab, and led a project to help patients suffering from sleep apnea. Tony was also actively involved in his community, mentoring youth, engaging with the underserved, and volunteering with multiple community service organizations. Following graduation, Tony served as the Program Associate for Community Care, a dynamic non-profit company responsible for managing the care of North Carolina’s Medicaid population. During this time, Tony helped the uninsured, taught classes on self-managing chronic illnesses, and worked on a variety of projects aimed at improving health of the greater Raleigh community.

Jordan Good, Charlottesville, VA

Grove City College: Sociology and Social Work

Employer: Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital: Care Management

Host: Chris and Robin Conrad

Mentor: Erin Love

While at Grove City College, Jordan was a resident assistant, serving as a mentor and leader for freshmen students. In the fall of her senior year she was an intern for the local Children’s Aid Society where she assisted employees in their work of finding adoptive homes for children. She also spent a summer abroad in Belgium volunteering as a hospitality intern for an international conference center. In addition, she served as the events coordinator for her university’s local chapter of Student Mission Fellowship. Jordan is pursuing a career related to missions or nonprofit administration in a role that gives her the opportunity to care for a community of people.

Shem Kentish, Virginia Beach, VA

Virginia Tech: Human Nutrition Foods and Exercise;

Minor in Spanish

Employer: Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital: Medical Scribe

Host: Rachel and Caleb Cutherell

Mentor: Allison Walker

The daughter of two Central-American immigrants who came to the United States to serve in the military, Shem has had the opportunity to travel and gain exposure to a variety of different cultures. These experiences combined with Shem’s love for people and traveling led her to join several overseas mission trips to Latin America. She now aspires to become a physician, with the eventual goal of returning abroad to practice medicine in underserved communities. While completing her B.S. in Human Nutrition, Foods & Exercise at Virginia Tech, Shem discovered a deep passion for nutrition and had the wonderful opportunity to intern last summer with dieticians at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD. She also served on the executive board for her university’s chapter of the American Medical Student Association as well as on the leadership team for Cru, her campus’s largest student organization. Shem relishes every opportunity to go hiking, loves trying out new baking recipes and plans to volunteer with the Roanoke Refugee Partnership.

Karla Levering, Columbus, OH

Miami University: Public Health; M

Minor in Nutrition

Employer: Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital: Medical Scribe

Host: Joel and Ann Claire Shepherd

Mentor: Lisa Beaumont

While studying Public Health at Miami, Karla invested in the local YMCA as an intern in employee wellness and later on staff as a Health Coach. As a student, she performed research under two different professors in the Kinesiology department and spent a semester abroad in Costa Rica where she learned immersive Spanish and studied the local healthcare system. A long time basketball player, Karla combined her love for the sport with her leadership ability to serve as the President of the Women’s Club Basketball Team. She also served in leadership roles in both her sorority as well as her student-led chapter of Cru while balancing various part time jobs. Karla spent her summers volunteering both stateside and abroad including teaching English in Sri Lanka and volunteering in a local nursing home as a therapy aide. She desires to delve into the public health sphere to propagate healthy living by pursuing a doctoral degree in Occupational Therapy to facilitate others in reaching their health and wellness goals.

Andrew Lonon, Purcellville, VA

Patrick Henry College: Classical Liberal Arts

Employer: R. Fralin Homes

Host: Dan Felton-Petry

Mentor: Dan Felton-Petry

Andrew’s studies at Patrick Henry College helped him cultivate expertise in leadership, learning, and relationships. He had the opportunity to put this expertise to use as he worked for the college’s Admissions and Student Life offices, and most recently for R. Fralin Companies, a home developer in Roanoke, VA. People are Andrew’s passion–specifically any opportunity to help people work together more effectively, live fuller lives, and accomplish their life missions. Apart from his full-time work, Andrew has enjoyed opportunities to develop relationships as a soccer coach, therapy aid, writer, and musician. In the long-term, Andrew hopes to develop a team whose focus will be consulting both individuals and organizations into success.

Jason Pelletier, Bethlehem, PA

DeSales: Doctor of Physical Therapy

Employer: Carilion Clinic; Physical Therapist

Host: Thomas and Ashley Fellers

Mentor: Jim Constantine

Jason has a passion for human movement and seeing people live healthy and fulfilling lives, which has led him from a career in athletics to a new career as a physical therapist. Jason was a pole-vaulter at Penn State, where he took on leadership roles as a student-athlete and developed his unique strength of character through athletic and personal hardships. After Penn State, Jason was a track and field coach at Bucknell University for two years before obtaining his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from DeSales University in Pennsylvania. While completing his doctoral studies, Jason was President of Christian Medical Dental Association of Lehigh Valley, went on a medical mission trip to Guatemala, participated in door-to-door medical outreach to under-served areas of North Philadelphia, all while continuing a coaching career with the pole-vaulters at DeSales University. With a unique combination of coaching, leadership, missions, and physical therapy experiences, Jason hopes to be an innovator in healthcare by providing exceptionally high-quality physical therapy and helping others reach their potential.

While at the University of Pittsburgh, Heather studied nursing and was heavily involved in her campus ministry’s leadership team as well as the Women’s Chorale Ensemble. As a student, Heather worked as a Patient Care Technician on an oncology floor and volunteered in the NICU holding and feeding babies that were experiencing withdrawal. Her education at Pitt ignited a passion for multiple fields in nursing, but none more so than that of Pediatric nursing. Along with her love of people and nursing, Heather enjoys all things related to music, singing and laughing. Heather currently works as an Emergency Department Nurse and hopes to pursue her long term goal of being a Pediatric Nurse.

Jessica Ruble, Kennett Square, PA

Penn State University: Spanish and International Politics;,

Minor in Latin American Studies

Host: Swain and Lisa Strickland

Employer: Street Ransom

Mentor: Ali Bradley

While at the Pennsylvania State University, Jessica pursued many opportunities including a study abroad in Santiago, Chile, membership in both the Schreyer Honors College and the Paterno Fellows organization, and involvement in various Christian and philanthropic organizations. Through these opportunities she has traveled to Africa and multiple Latin American countries, led and mentored peers in multiple roles through Cru, and stood for 46 hours to raise money for pediatric cancer in the Penn State Dance Marathon (the world’s largest student-run philanthropy). Jessica obtained her degrees at Penn State with the hope of one day working for an organization that fights sex trafficking either domestically or globally. Currently, she is working for Street Ransom, a nonprofit that spreads awareness about the issue of sex trafficking in the Roanoke area and offers services to those who have been rescued.

Andy Sullivan, Chesapeake, VA

Virginia Tech: Marketing Management

Employer: Virginia Furniture Market

Host: Kevin and Sherri Coolbaugh

Mentor: Alan Janey

While pursuing his Marketing degree, Andy was heavily involved on campus through varying leadership positions as a Hokie Camp counselor, a committee member of Relay for Life and a student mentor and leader in Cru, his university’s largest student organization. In addition, he served as a children’s ministry intern for his home church and spent a summer interning as a social media coordinator at the headquarters for Athletes in Action, a global Christian outreach to athletes. During his time at Tech, Andy discovered his passion for people and creativity and has thoroughly enjoyed the creative process in developing a variety of materials such as surveys, blog posts and advertising campaigns. His love for travel and adventure has led him to a South African safari, a Montana whitewater rafting trip and a cross country trek to visit as many MLB stadiums as he could.

Jose Zuniga; Vinton, VA

Virginia Tech: Biology

Employer: Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital: Medical Scribe

Host: David Hankins

Mentor: Ray Deyerly

Jose was born in Honduras and grew up in Mallorca, Spain and Roanoke, VA. While pursuing his degree in Biology from VT he performed research in microbiology specializing in bacteriophages and cancer treatment. Also during this time, he discovered his passion for global missions as he served as a Spanish interpreter and camp counselor in Rio Bravo, Mexico for ICCD, a global outreach for the deaf. Jose hopes to go into the medical field and combine his love for the outdoors by working globally in third world rural communities with underserved populations such as the deaf and blind.